JAPANESE NON-PAPER ON SE ASIA MIDDLE EAST PEACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002583

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/J AND NEA/IPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2019
TAGS: PREL KPAL IS SN MY ID JA
SUBJECT: JAPANESE NON-PAPER ON SE ASIA MIDDLE EAST PEACE
PROCESS SUPPORT

REF: TOKYO 2324

Classified By: DCM James P. Zumwalt per reason 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) During a November 4 meeting with Embassy Poloff, MOFA
First Middle East Principal Deputy Director Kazutaka Kawahara
provided an English-language copy of a non-paper (See
paragraph 5) explaining current MOFA internal discussion on
the form and substance of its proposed Southeast Asia Middle
East Peace Process Supporters group. Kawahara said that MOFA
is presently working on plans for the group.


2. (C) Karawara recalled that during GOJ Special Middle East
Envoy Iimura,s September visit to Indonesia, then-Foreign
Minister Hassan had responded positively to the GOJ,s
concept. In the wake of Indonesia,s mid-October Cabinet
shuffle, Iimura hopes to meet soon with new Indonesia Foreign
Minister Marti Natalegawa to gauge his views on the GOJ plan.
According to Kawahara, if Natalegawa,s response is
positive, the GOJ looks to move ahead with the plan, eying an
initial introductory meeting in early 2010. He stressed that
the GOJ recognizes that the Peace Process itself had not yet
restarted and that progress may continue to be slow. That
said, the GOJ is moving very carefully and is willing to
defer action if that would be more helpful.


4. (C) Turning to the text of the non-paper itself, Kawahara
described it as a "discussion paper," adding that while the
content was fluid and subject to change, it represented
current MOFA thinking on the project. For example, although
the non-paper discusses a possible ministerial-level meeting,
Kawahara said that the level of participation and modalities
of both an initial meeting and any subsequent meetings of the
proposed group remain undecided. For example, he suggested
that "senior officials" rather than ministers might be the
participants.


5. (U) Begin text of MOFA discussion paper.

For Discussion Only:

Initiative to Establish a Middle East Peace Supporting Group
in East Asia

Objectives:
In view of the critical importance of establishing a just and
lasting peace in the Middle East, Japan and Indonesia will
collaborate with like-minded East Asian countries.
A) To mobilize their support for the Middle East peace
process based on the two-state solution, while the U.S.
initiative enters the critical phase.
B) To strengthen their efforts to assist the Palestinians
in establishing a viable Palestinian state and, where
possible, to implement projects jointly.
C) To develop economic cooperation between the parties
directly involved in the peace process and the countries in
East Asia, and to help confidence-building among the parties
concerned.

Overview of the Initiative

To realize the above mentioned objectives, details of the
concrete measures will be explored through consultations
between Japan and Indonesia to be presented to other
like-minded East Asian countries.

Ministerial Conference

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, a
ministerial conference will be organized. A brief concept of
the ministerial conference is described below.

A) The participants will be countries which wish to
contribute to the Middle East peace process and which have
been providing substantial assistance to the Palestinians.
They will discuss how to carry out these objectives more
effectively.
B) Japan and Indonesia will co-chair the conference to
which the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, the
United States and other like-minded East Asian countries,
including Singapore and Malaysia, will be invited.
C) The conference will be an occasion for them to show
their determination to support the peace process to the
international community as a whole.

TOKYO 00002583 002 OF 002


D) Another main agenda will be to consolidate and
strengthen assistance to the Palestinians in their efforts to
build a viable Palestinian state which is a key factor to
achieve the two-state solution. Making the best use of the
experiences of the previous efforts made by Japan and East
Asia, including the NAASP Ministerial Conference on capacity
building for Palestine, the participating countries will
discuss how to collaborate to help the Palestinians develop
their economy. In this regard, the possibility of dispatch
of joint project formation missions can be discussed.
E) The participating countries will be invited to make
concrete pledges to assist Palestinians.
F) The time and venue of the first conference will be
decided through consultations between Japan and Indonesia.
G) Preferably the follow-up conferences will be organized
from time to time as a forum where concrete measures to
support the peace process, to assist Palestinians, nation
building efforts and to develop economic cooperation measures
between East Asia and the Middle East will be discussed.
H) Whether or not to proceed with this initiative, and
when to proceed will be decided, taking into consideration
the situation regarding the Middle East peace process.

Track II Conference

Besides the ministerial conferences, a Track II process will
be launched with the participation of academics and business
figures of the above-mentioned parties. The ways and means
to develop the Palestinian economy, to strengthen the
economic ties between the two regions, and to build
confidence will be discussed. Government officials of those
countries will also participate in the process.

Announcement

The initiative will be announced at an appropriate timing.

End text of MOFA discussion paper.
ROOS